Letting Go

I am not a parent, but this week I got a glimpse or two of what it feels like to be one. It was the scariest feeling in the world. (Now all of you mothers out there are smiling.) When you look into the wrinkled red-face of a screaming baby and wish he could just tell you what’s wrong, it’s unnerving. On the other hand, when you look at the unvoiced pain in the eyes of a child in grade-school and wonder if they are screaming inside, it can be even more unnerving. When I look in the eyes of my friends and see their heart—bruised, trampled on, and torn to pieces, I just want to sit and cry. Sometimes I even wonder, like I’m sure moms do, “Have I done enough? Too much? Have I cared enough?” How do they survive is what I want to know! It’s overwhelming. Finally as I paced nervously across the floor one night, I had to learn to do something else moms do. I had to turn off the light, close my eyes… and let go. That’s not the same thing as giving up. Letting go is taking the people you love and placing them in much stronger, more capable hands. Letting go is trusting that those hands know and are able to do what is best, and believing that those hands will never drop what you have entrusted to them. It wasn’t easy. It was hard. I’ll probably have to do it again tonight, and many more nights in the future. I have a way of trying to take them back into my frail hands. But God is not disturbed. He just says, “Let me hold them. I love them more than you do. Let me handle it. I’ll take care of them.”

Heavenly Father, help me trust you completely. Show me how to love, listen, and comfort the people around me who need a glimpse of your love. But help me understand when to reach out, and when to let go. There seems to be a fine line there Lord, and I need your help to see it. Thank you that You are the perfect parent. Help us to come to You with our scraped knees and wounded hearts. Only You can provide healing and comfort like we need. Only You can untangle all the knots inside of us. Help me trust you to do all this… in Your time.

Psalm 73:23-24
“Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel You will guide me, and afterward receive me to glory.”

Changes

Nothing stays the same. Life changes. The weather changes, people change, even the trees get tired of wearing green and trade it in for a new look in the fall. Sometimes change is exciting and fun. Other times, it's downright rotten. It can also be scary. I'm learning to drive a stick-shift. When I'm on a big hill and a person pulls up close behind me, I get a little tense. "Am I going to roll backwards into them? Can I make it through this light? I don't like this!" It may be a little thing, but it seems pretty scary at the time! It's another change. Sometimes I think about changes in the future, and I get scared. I think, "Lord I don't want to get old and watch my family and friends get to heaven before I do." Or, "What's this country going to be like in 20 years, when I'm a grown up?" I don't know the answers to those questions, and they still unsettle me at times. However, because of all these constantly changing variables in my life, I have come to truly appreciate that which does not change.

"I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:37-39

"I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living." Psalm 27:13

"Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:23-24

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." Isaiah 40:28-29

"...God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'the Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'" Hebrews 13:5-6

"I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself." Psalm 89:2

"For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods." Psalm 95:3

"Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his, we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100:3,5

Even though change stinks sometimes, at least it makes us realize how incredible it is to have unchanging promises, and most importantly an unchanging relationship with the God of the universe.

"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." Psalm 27:14

The Real World

"Things we can see, taste, touch, feel, smell, things like that... those are things that make up the natural world."

Hmmm... I thought as I sat in Biology class, listening to my professor.

"Spiritual things, 'religious' things, and stuff like that, you can't really perceive them so they're not part of the natural world. The natural world makes up the 'real world' so to speak."

Does it? Immediately my mind was somewhere besides Biology class. What do you think God? These words were suddenly ringing loud and clear in my ears,

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthains 4:18 (Thanks to Tami who sent me this very verse and reference today!)

Hmm... what is the real world? While I understand the point my professor was trying to make, I couldn't help but dwell on those words from God as he continued talking. I looked around at the tables I could touch, the chair that supported my weight, the people I could see. Yet still I wondered, Is this the real world? The question haunted me most of the afternoon and evening. Finally I pulled out my Bible and looked up the words that had come to me during class, and I think I got my answer. The verses following say this:

"Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, gauranteeing what is to come." 2 Cor. 5:1-5

It seems to me that this world is just a small part of the real world God has in mind. Here's what God had to say about some other people who had a good grasp of His real world.

(Speaking of Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and others.)

"All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own... they were longing for a better country-- a heavenly one." Hebrews 11:13-16. Earlier (v.10) it says this city is "...the city with foundations, whose architect and buider is God."

I don't know about you, but I have trouble sometimes remembering: this isn't it. This is just a temporary assignment. This world is all about preparing for the real world. "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us: Be reconciled to God." 2 Cor. 5:20.

For some reason this gets me fired up. To know that we can be a part of God's real, significant, eternal world! He wants us to be a part of it. He wants it so bad He gave up His son to make it possible! 2 Cor. 5:21 says, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." If you've put all your trust in what Jesus Christ did on the cross to pay your fine, God says you get to be a part of that world, both now and for eternity. How amazing is that!

So what does it mean for us right now while we are here? Besides holding the position of ambassadors from God's World, here's a couple more things:

"For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." Colossians 3:3.

"We live by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthains 5:7

Check out how Moses handled it: "By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible." Hebrews 11:27

In light of this fallen world we live in, these verses give me such great hope. What amazing truth! And while we're here, we have an unbelievable opportunity to be part of a great adventure, a great "mission trip." Every day we get to watch closely, we get a chance to catch a glimpse of "him who is invisible."


Blessed Assurance
Jesus is mine
Oh what a foretaste of glory divine!
Watching and waiting
Looking above
Filled with His goodness,
Lost in His love.


(note: all italics and bold lettering added by me)

When Life Beats You Up

It was late, I was tired, and I should have been asleep. But I wasn't. I sat up in bed staring at nothing, my light still on, my Bible in my hand. I was exhausted, but I couldn't get them out of my mind. One by one I saw faces of dear friends in my mind. My insides almost hurt. I wanted to cry but I couldn't. I felt like I was handcuffed on the outside of the ring, watching life deliver a swift jab in the stomach, knocking the wind out of them.

God, help! Fight for them!
I am.
God I know Your timing is perfect... but what are you waiting for? Can't you fix it?
I am.
They're getting beat to a pulp in there, I don't understand!
I am.
Why is this so hard Lord? How do we survive this?
I am.

What does that mean? Here's a few verses that gave me a very small, yet big idea:

"Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades." Revelation 1:17-18

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end," Revelation 22:13

And this was my favorite out of this group...

And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true." Then He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost."
Revelation 21:3-6 (italics mine).

So how do we survive? We choose to remember WHO is fighting for us. We choose to remember... we've already won! We choose to remember, this is not the final chapter. We choose to believe, even when we can't see, He is making all things new.

As I thought about these verses, I realized God didn't choose to show them to me the night I was struggling with all this. Instead, He prepared me slowly, showing me these words at the end of the week. During that time, He confirmed my inability, so that I could come to rest in His ability. Nothing new I guess... but it never seems to get old either.